Accountant salary in Bowling Green, KY
Hiring an accountant costs less in Bowling Green than in Kentucky or the country as a whole. The median is $71,540 a year1: 5.0% below the Kentucky statewide median of $75,270 and 14.5% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#418 of 521). BLS counts about 390 people in this job here, 3% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Bowling Green, KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bowling Green against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green, KY | $50,190 | $71,540 | $117,500 | |
| Kentucky | $50,750 | $75,270 | $121,230 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Bowling Green earns $59,680–$89,810. The top tenth earns $117,500 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $30,130 wide, against $35,740 across Kentucky and $42,790 nationally: employers in Bowling Green pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,190 | $4,182 | $24.13 | $64,761 |
| 25th percentile | $59,680 | $4,973 | $28.69 | $77,006 |
| Median | $71,540 | $5,962 | $34.39 | $92,310 |
| 75th percentile | $89,810 | $7,484 | $43.18 | $115,884 |
| 90th percentile | $117,500 | $9,792 | $56.49 | $151,613 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $18,270 over the median, the 25th only $11,860 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $23,574 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Bowling Green, and the Kentucky statewide median of $75,270 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Bowling Green
At the $71,540 median, a local hire costs about $92,310 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $20,770 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Bowling Green
Of the 15 roles we track in Bowling Green, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($81,300); executive assistants come next at $64,290.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +13.6% | 350 | |
| Accountant | this role | 390 | |
| Executive Assistant | -10.1% | 60 | |
| Recruiter | -13.5% | 360 | |
| Office Manager | -14.4% | 650 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #6 of the 15 roles we track in Bowling Green (-14.5%), between bookkeepers (-12.8%) and customer support specialists (-15.2%). The typical role here is at -15.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 5.6% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Bowling Green, 6.1% across Kentucky and 9.3% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $64,450 in the East Kentucky nonmetro area to $77,800 in Owensboro, a gap of $13,350 a year. Of the 6 areas in Kentucky with more accountants than Bowling Green, 4 pay less, the largest of them the Central Kentucky nonmetro area ($70,670), the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area ($70,620) and the West Kentucky nonmetro area ($68,080).
| Area | Median | vs Bowling Green | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | +6.7% | 4,590 | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | +3.5% | 250 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | +2.9% | 280 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | this area | 390 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -1.2% | 1,070 | |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -1.3% | 810 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -4.8% | 600 |
Bowling Green against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bowling Green is #406 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Kentucky, Kankakee and Tuscaloosa pay just above Bowling Green and Lawton and Sebring just below. All four are within $150 a year of the median in Bowling Green. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bowling Green | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casper, WY | +17.3% | 390 | jobs | |
| Glens Falls, NY | +12.3% | 390 | jobs | |
| Albany, GA | +3.4% | 390 | jobs | |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | +0.2% | 960 | pay | |
| Kankakee, IL | +0.1% | 210 | pay | |
| Bowling Green, KY | this area | 390 | ||
| Lawton, OK | -0.0% | 280 | pay | |
| Sebring, FL | -0.1% | 150 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Bowling Green, KY?
About $92,310 a year at the median, or $7,692 a month: $71,540 in pay plus about $20,770 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Bowling Green?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $71,540 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $50,190, the 90th $117,500, and the middle half earned $59,680 to $89,810.
Is Bowling Green cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $71,540 against $75,270 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Paducah at $73,650, the next down the Central Kentucky nonmetro area at $70,670.
How many accountants work in Bowling Green?
BLS counts about 390 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Kentucky total of 11,930. 6 areas in Kentucky have more; the closest in size is the East Kentucky nonmetro area, with about 450.
Does an accountant cost more than an executive assistant in Bowling Green?
Yes: $7,250 a year more at the median. The medians are $71,540 and $64,290.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.